“I call them dick lit, because most of those books are just about a woman trying to score some guy.” Then I reddened a bit because I’d just said “dick” to someone I didn’t know that well.

“I would have thought you were beyond a guidebook for beginners,” Rich said. “I would have pegged you for more of a pro.”

“I’m not a doctor, that’s for sure,” I replied. “I like using the entry level books because the language is so complete. It spells everything out in pretty simple terms for someone to understand.”

“You mean the average viewer?”

“Exactly.”

This exchange felt kind of awkward. Rich wasn’t really the type of guy to hang out and chitchat. He was much too serious for that. My eyes scanned the navy blazer he wore over his white button-down shirt. Suddenly I was relieved he was no longer on the police force. I was glad there was no chance he would get shot in the face while on duty.

He glanced down and I could tell he was getting ready to say something important to him. “I was thinking the other night about your stalking problem.”

“My stalking problem?”

“Yeah, remember you called me a while back about that plate number, but it was a false alarm?”

“Oh, yeah.” I shrugged. “I’d been followed home a few times and I would occasionally see this one guy hanging around in front of my house, but I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“A lot of people truly believe that women have a natural instinct for sniffing out trouble, that there really is something behind women’s intuition,” Rich said. “This guy Gavin de Becker is a noted expert who specializes in protection for people who are targeted.”

“I’ve heard of Gavin.”

“I’ve met him a few times over the years. He’s a cool guy. He consulted with the government about how to improve security at the White House. Gavin’s book is called The Gift of Fear. You should check it out.” Rich looked at me seriously. “Don’t ignore those feelings. Always go with your hunches.”

“I definitely feel sometimes that I do have a secret sense,” I told Rich. “Just a feeling, ya know? When I go with these hunches and let them drive me, I’ve found I’m usually right.”

“Okay.” He headed to the door, then turned toward me again. “Be sure to check out that book.”

“Okay.”

I let him leave, counted to twenty, and buzzed Azita.

“What is the deal with Rich? I think he may have just been in here hitting on me,” I said.